Teen who sued her parents drops the lawsuit

Judge Peter Bogaard of Morristown dismissed the suit after ruling that Canning’s decision was knowing and voluntary, report the New Jersey Star-Ledger, CNN and the Daily Record. Under questioning by her lawyer, Canning, 18, said she dropped the suit because she wanted to, and no one had forced or coerced her.

Canning had claimed in the suit that her parents had forced her out of their home and she needed their financial support to pay her tuition at a private high school and college. She claimed her parents had mistreated her psychologically; her parents claimed she didn’t want to follow their rules and she left home on her own accord. The parents had told Canning she had to break up with her boyfriend and took away her phone and car privileges after she was suspended from school for truancy, CNN says.

New Jersey child-protection officials investigated and deemed allegations of emotional abuse to be unfounded.

Canning lived at the home of her best friend after leaving home. The friend’s father, a lawyer, advanced her legal fees for the suit.